The Rivard Teahen Wheatley Group - Baird Private Wealth Management

09/01/2026

As the summer winds down, now may be a good time to do a check in on your own documents. Think of it as the adult version of "back to school" prep!

Every.One. (yes you!) needs at least a basic set of estate documents. Learn more about what those pieces are here:

It’s not just for the ultra-wealthy. Estate plans can help protect assets, make things easier for heirs and minimize taxes.

08/28/2026

We try to bring laughter into even seemingly heavy conversations whenever we can...

Meeting with a beloved, longtime client the other day, I asked if they'd like to dig deeper into anything I had reviewed.

With a mischievous grin, they replied:

"No thanks. To be honest with you, I really find all of this incredibly boring."

😂 Fair enough. I appreciated the honesty and sense of humor.

The good news? You don't have to love spreadsheets to have a financial plan. Sometimes the greatest compliment is knowing our clients trust us to handle the details while they get back to living their lives.

Happy Friday!

08/25/2026

As much as I love to hang on to summer, the fact is, we are fully into "back to school season" now.

If you still have a few years before your kids or grandkids are headed to college, it's helpful to have a road map for your college savings plan.

Take a look at the article below to get started, and reach out if you'd like to discuss your own plans and savings tools! Not only for the near term, college savings vehicles can also be an excellent legacy planning tool.

Key questions to help you get started on funding your kids’ education.

08/21/2026

Highlight of the day: Just moved some $$ for a client to pay tuition for the doctoral program he is starting.

It's a three year program, so he'll be 82 when he graduates:)

08/11/2026

Soaking up the season sometimes means a quick dip before or after work... or both!

What are your favorite summer activities?

08/10/2026

Summers in northern Michigan are packed full, and many of our local businesses rely on college students for summer help.

Though it always seems too early, students are already starting to head back to school!

Here are some great tips to build a strong financial foundation at this early stage!

Start building your money and investment management skills in college with these practices.

08/04/2026

It's a beautiful morning in Traverse City!

Hoping all of you have a wonderful day wherever you all!

07/29/2026

We talk a lot about risk management... life insurance, health insurance, personal property insurance, etc.

But what about Fido!?

Pets are an important part of our families, and in fact are becoming more and more recognized as an important factor for health aging, mental health, and overall health and wellbeing.

I met with multiple veterinarians recently, and worked to navigate the veterinary care landscape for our own pup, so the topic of pet health insurance is front of mind.

As the costs of veterinary care increases (like everything else), pet health insurance is looking like a better and better idea to help protect your pets AND your finances!

07/27/2026

We're more than halfway through the year, quickly heading toward the end of summer.

Maybe now is a good time to reflect on your own approach to investing...

Mike guides us out of bad investment habits and toward a better mindset for long-term wealth-building.

07/23/2026

Time for another session of Summer School!
Today's topic... LIFO and FIFO.

What do they mean?
LIFO: Last In, First Out.
FIFO: First In, First Out.

This has been going through my mind lately as we stack hay in the barn.

Think about it this way: as the barn fills up, the last bale stacked is usually the first one you can grab. From a stacking perspective, that's LIFO. The last hay in is the first hay out.

In the investment world, LIFO works the same way. When shares are sold, the most recently purchased shares are sold first.

Why does that matter? Those newer shares may have had less time to appreciate, which can sometimes result in lower taxable capital gains compared to selling older shares that have been growing for years.

Depending on the investment, you may be able to choose how shares are sold for tax purposes. Some investments offer flexibility, while others have specific IRS rules that determine the order.

The takeaway: before selling an investment, it's worth understanding how the sale will be reported and what the potential tax consequences may be. A quick conversation now could help you avoid an unexpected tax bill later.